Free Cameron's Contract by Vanessa Fewings

beverage.
    Mia was her usual kind and appreciative self, showing Mom there were no hard feelings.
    Now it was my turn to gape, and on Mia’s subtle gesture, I closed my mouth.
    Mom strolled over to the wall.
    “ He made me do it,” murmured Henry with a glint of mischief.
    “ Leonard Maybury.” She rested a fingertip by his name. “His parents were German immigrants. He studied business at Wharton. We took a holiday together a year ago with his wife Sally in Bavaria.”  
    I rose to my feet and headed over. “That’s good, Mom. Keep going.”
    Her eyes glinted with warmth. “Leonard experienced bankruptcy in his late twenties. His first business went under due to his over-leveraged hotel and casino business in New Orleans.”
    I pointed to his name. “His wife?”
    She gave a nod and held her hand out for the pen. “We’re on the same charity committee. Sally’s religious.”
    “Catholic?”
    “Yes.”
    “Do you get along with her?”
    “Yes, I like her.”
    I picked up the spare marker and drew a line through his name. “He’s last. Just in case.”
    “Just in case?” asked Shay.
    “We run out of time,” I said.
    Mom frowned. “But he went through something similar to what your dad’s going through right now.”
    “Yes,” I said, “and he cheated his way back to success. He’ll be hard to extract empathy from.”
    She frowned. “You’re going to visit them?”
    “After I’ve finished profiling.”
    “I should go with you.”
    “I imagined you phoned everyone?”
    “Yes.”
    “They’re closing ranks.”
    “But there isn’t enough time to visit everyone,” she said. “You only have a day.”
    I nodded. “That’s why we need to be precise.”
    “Like a laser beam,” said Shay.
    “Look at this, Cameron.” Mia had a file opened in front of her.
    I headed on over.
    “What is that?” asked Mom.
    “It’s the list of signatures,” said Mia. “Where each board member—”
    “Stabbed us in the back,” said Mom.
    Mia pointed. “This is interesting. Look at Mr. Malt’s signature. It’s a little shaky and looks nothing like the one here from two years ago. Do you think someone else signed it?”
    I dragged the list over and compared it to where Douglas Malt had previously signed his name for a memo.
    “Perhaps he has arthritis now?” said Mia. “That would account for it.”
    “Your dad did mention Douglas hadn’t attended the last few meetings,” said Mom. “He conducts all business dealings from home. His wife was his secretary back in the day.”
    “Can his signature be voided?” asked Shay.
    “That would win a vote back,” said Henry.
    I opened Douglas Malt’s file. “He lives in Greenwich.” I headed back over to the wall and scribbled an asterisk beside his name. “Let’s pay him a visit first.”
    “What is that?” Mom looked horrified.
    She’d caught sight of the medical conditions I’d written beneath each name, tucked away beneath the list of family members, including grandchildren.
    “Brendon Smith had a heart attack a year ago,” I said. “We’re making a note of medical records too. I need a complete profile.”
    “How did you find that out?”
    “We might have a hacker in our midst,” I said.
    “That’s not legal,” she said.
    “We’re using what we find for the good of Cole Tea.”
    “If you must,” she said weakly.
    Henry arched his brows.
    “I need the key to this room,” I said. “No one, and I mean no one, enters here without my permission.”
    Mom’s stare swept across the wall. “I’ll personally paint over it when we’re done.”
    “Now let’s not go too far, Mom,” said Henry. “We don’t want there to be a crack in the space-time continuum.”
    It was good to see her laugh.

CHAPTER 13
     
     
    “YOUR BEAUTY, IT haunts me,” I whispered.
    Mia blushed. “Such a romantic.”
    “I’m serious. Can’t drag my eyes off you.”
    “We need to focus.”
    “I’m focused.” Reluctantly I pulled my hand away from